The best of the Australian teams - the Brumbies and Waratahs - are actually much closer to the Kiwi sides than people imagined. This, despite Australian rugby being stuck in a low ebb with almost no genuine world stars in their ranks.
Maybe the most informative part of the Blues-Brumbies match occurred just before Beauden Barrett's winning drop goal when the Brumbies' rolling maul waltzed through the Blues pack like it wasn't there.
The Brumbies pack didn't even have to twist and shout. Their forwards quickly settled into a structure from a lineout and trundled down like a Telly Tubby strolling through a field.
New Zealand has dominated Super Rugby since the 2015 World Cup victory yet the All Blacks have been caught, overtaken, by a muscular pack.
New Zealand rugby's problem isn't beating Australia. We've been smashing them in all areas for decades.
But South Africa, England, Ireland, France ... That's another matter.
Or to put it another way: Has New Zealand found a way to produce the required test players despite Super Rugby?
Or put it this way: Why is Beauden Barrett (one of my favourite footballers ever) running wild in Super Rugby when his test career has crept backwards?
Winner: The PGA
More wonderful drama from a golf major, this time the PGA Championship on a tough course in Oklahoma.
A leaderboard of rising stars included the Chilean Mito Pereira, whose collapse on the last hole - when in sight of victory - was agonising to watch.
There were all sorts of other storylines, including Tiger Woods hobbling around on one-and-a-half healthy legs.
Maybe the PGA has things to work on, but golf doesn't need a rival league. Golf isn't broken, because it does tradition as well as any sport.
The four Majors provide many of the highlights in any sporting year. Saudi Arabian money will never come close to matching that.
Winner: Mito Pereira
The Chilean golfer, the world number 100, was warmly wonderful in a TV interview after the heartbreak of seeing the PGA title slip from his grasp on the final hole. As the commentators remarked, hopefully there are not too many deep scars for a man who may never get that close to the ultimate glory again.
The US men and women will pool their World Cup prize money, American football's way of balancing out the unequal Fifa payouts.
I can't see many others following suit, but it is still a significant moment in a transitional period of hope for women's sport.
Loser: Matt Lodge
The troubled prop walked out on the Warriors, which is no surprise. Everyone knew he had a prickly personality.
Ironically, Lodge was probably their best player in the weeks leading up to his walk-off. Maybe he was trying to push his price up elsewhere.
The Warriors should be much more discerning about whom they sign in the first place if they want to turn that wobbly club around.
Too many people, and not just players, have been allowed to use the Warriors for their own ends.
As for Lodge ... Good riddance.
Winner: Inclusiveness/clumsiness
Eritrean Biniam Girmay became the first black African to win a stage of the Giro d'Italia.
He may also be the first sportsperson in history to need a hospital visit after popping a champagne cork into his eye while celebrating on the podium.
Winners: Black Ferns
Black Ferns Sevens celebrate. Photo / Photosport
The sevens stars won in Toulouse, a much-needed tonic for Kiwi women's rugby in the World Cup hosting year.
Winners: Queensland league
The Broncos and Cowboys are resurgent, which is great for the NRL.
Winners: Manchester City
Football fans expected to wake up on Monday morning to find that Manchester City had retained their EPL title, holding off Liverpool.
But the manner of their final comeback victory over Aston Villa was certainly a shock.
However, it wasn't a shock to see the superlative Kevin De Bruyne produce a stunning run to set up the winner, as City scored three in five minutes.
With Norwegian wonder striker Erling Haaland on the way, Manchester City are primed to make it a three-peat in the world's greatest domestic sports competition next season.
Winner: Mohamed ElShorbagy ...
... for putting some spice into squash. The Egyptian thanked Paul Coll's coach Rob Owen for putting too much pressure on his Kiwi charge.
ElShorbagy reckoned Owen's reported comments, that Coll was almost unbeatable, was "one of the most stupid articles I've ever read".
The Egyptian duly beat Coll in their world championships semifinal.
